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A replica of a 1961 Ferrari 250GT California that was sent flying through a window in the 1986 film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, has sold for an astonishing amount
Is this the most famous Ferrari to star in a movie?
The 1961 Ferrari 250GT California. Less than a hundred were made. My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love; it is his passion.
It is his fault he didn’t lock the garage.
It’s the car that supported the perfect day of playing hooky, but also provides the symbolic link of a fractured relationship between a father and son.
The story doesn’t end well for the Ferrari, as it is sent backwards through a high glass window, into the forest below.
Movie magic is of course at play, and rather than ruining a genuine 250GT California (complete with million-dollar price tag), a number of replica ‘Modena Spiders’ were constructed for the film to be used in driving stunt scenes.
The car that went under the hammer in the US was the replica that made the fateful leap through the window, and it sold on the weekend for a staggering $US337,500 ($AU506,000) at the Heritage Collectibles Auction.
The prop car was repaired (mostly) to be used for display purposes, and still has a series of hooks and brackets so that it can be hung from the roof. Perfect for the pool room.
Constructed specifically for the crash, the car has no engine or driveline, and the fibreglass body doesn’t even have working latches for the boot or bonnet.
Some of the paint has chipped and a couple of lenses are cracked, but for fans of the film, the car’s appearance and provenance are apparently investment worthy.
For some added context, one of the hero cars used for driving scenes in the film sold in 2020 for $US396,000 ($AU593,000).
All said and done, if you think the $500,000 paid for a damaged, non-running, fake Ferrari is significant, spare a thought for the person who purchased Ferris Bueller’s iconic sweater-vest at the same auction for $US143,750 ($AU216,000).
Read more about James Ward
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